Dianella caerulea x brevipedunculata plant named &#39;Indigo Bells&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘Indigo Bells’ is a distinctive variety of  Dianella caerulea  which is characterized by the combination of its short to medium plant height, dense upright growth habit with flowers positioned just above the foliage, upright leaf attitude with distal weeping, year round flowering season, and violet blue flower color with violet blue berry color.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

The Latin name of the novel variety disclosed herein is Dianellacaerulea×brevipedunculata.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The inventive variety of Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata disclosedherein has been given the varietal denomination ‘Indigo Bells’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial Blue FlaxLilly variety of Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata, which has beengiven the varietal denomination of ‘Indigo Bells’. Its market class isthat of an ornamental grass-like plant. ‘Indigo Bells’ is intended foruse in landscaping and as a decorative grass-like plant.

An application for plant breeders' rights for variety ‘Indigo Bells’ hasbeen filed with the Australian Plant Breeders' Rights Office, under thename ‘Weeping Kate’ on 9 Jun. 2009 under Application No. 2009/138.

Parentage. The Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata variety ‘Indigo Bells’was first discovered in 2005 in an Australian nursery in Park Ridge,Queensland, Australia as part of a seed production program. ‘IndigoBells’ is a result of an interspecific cross from open pollinatedDianella caerulea grown alongside Dianella brevipedunculata. The ‘IndigoBells’ maternal parent, Dianella caerulea is characterized by a short tomedium plant height (to 50 cm), flowering stem extending well abovefoliage and a typical seasonal spring to summer flowering period. The‘Indigo Bells’ pollen parent, Dianella brevipedunculata is characterizedby a short to medium plant height (to 50 cm), flowering stem positionwell below the foliage and a typical seasonal spring to summer floweringperiod.

In 2004, Dianella caerulea and Dianella brevipedunculata. were grown inseparate adjacent open beds for the purpose of seed collection. Theplants were open pollinated and each species type was collectedseparately for growing on to seedling stage.

Several thousand seedling plants were grown. In 2005 fifty plants wereidentified as having short plant heights. These plants were selected andgrown to maturity for evaluation. A single plant from these was found toproduce flowers from a small size. It was micropropagated and thenplanted out to test if the unique traits were reproduced over successivegeneration of vegetative reproduction. These plants were grown for 12months and subsequently found to flower for 12 months of the year with aflowering stem presentation intermediate between that of Dianellacaerulea and Dianella brevipedunculata. It was also found to have othercharacteristics of Dianella brevipedunculata including a clumping (notrunning) plant growth habit and resistance to root rotting that affectsDianella caerulea, but not Dianella brevipedunculata. It wassubsequently named “Weeping Kate’ in Australia and given the name‘Indigo Bells’ in the USA.

Asexual reproduction. ‘Indigo Bells’ was first asexually propagated bymicropropagation in 2005, in the state of Queensland, Australia. It wasasexually reproduced again from 2005 to 2009 and confirmed to be stablein character. The distinctive characteristics of the inventive variety,‘Indigo Bells’, have remained stable and true to type from generation togeneration through successive cycles of asexual reproduction includingvegetative division and more than twenty generations inmicropropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘Indigo Bells’ is a distinctive variety of Dianellacaerulea×brevipedunculata which is characterized by the combination ofits short to medium plant height, dense upright growth habit withflowers positioned just above the foliage, upright leaf attitude withdistal weeping, year round flowering season, violet blue flower colorwith violet blue berry color, which is unusual for a Dianella caeruleaor Dianella brevipedunculata.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The photographs in the drawings were made using conventional techniquesand show the colours as true as reasonably possible by conventionalphotography. Colours in the photographs may differ slightly from thecolour values cited in the detailed botanical description, whichaccurately describe the colours of the new Dianellacaerulea×brevipedunculata.

FIG. 1 shows an ‘Indigo Bells’ plant and illustrates the weeping leafhabit and flower position just above foliage that is characteristic ofthe variety.

FIG. 2 shows the stem and leaf basil sheath of ‘Indigo Bells’.

FIG. 3 shows the leaf of ‘Indigo Bells’.

FIG. 4 shows the inflorescence of ‘Indigo Bells’.

FIG. 5 shows the inflorescence position of ‘Indigo Bells’.

FIG. 6 shows the berry of ‘Indigo Bells’.

FIG. 7 shows the seed of ‘Indigo Bells’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata ornamental grass-likeplant known as ‘Indigo Bells’. The descriptions disclosed herein arebased upon observations of the plant grown in 250 mm nursery pots andfield plots in Queensland, Australia. The plants were approximately12-months-old at the time of observation. All colors cited herein referto The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, 2007 edition).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘Indigo Bells’ hasnot been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Wheredimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is tobe understood that such characteristics are approximations or averagesset forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety maydiffer with variations in the environment such as season, temperature,light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like.

‘Indigo Bells’ is a perennial Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata plant,which was produced through an innovative breeding program. After itsselection, ‘Indigo Bells’ was asexually propagated by micropropagation.‘Indigo Bells’ has dense growth, upright and compact growth habit, shortrhizome form, violet blue flower colour, short internodes located onshort canes, flowering stems bearing flowers positioned just above thefoliage which subsequently produce violet blue berries. A botanicaldescription of ‘Indigo Bells’ and a comparison with other of Dianellacaerulea and Dianella brevipedunculata are provided below. Arepresentative Dianella caerulea×brevipedunculata ‘Indigo Bells’ plantis shown in FIG. 1.

Technical Description of the Variety

-   Growth habit: ‘Indigo Bells’ is a rhizomatous plant forming a    semi-compact tussock. Its growth habit is erect, the plant height is    short to medium, (mean 50 cm), plant width is medium (55 to 60 cm)    and the density of shoots is strong.-   Stem: Length of internodes is short (to 10 mm).-   Foliage: Leaf blade attitude erect and weeping distally, length    medium (23-29 cm), width medium (13-15 mm), upper side color green    (RHS N137A), lower side colour yellow-green (RHS 147B to N137C),    upper side glaucosity weak, upper side is slightly glossy, lower    side is not glossy, shape ligulate, apex acute, cross section    concave to flat, margin is entire, spines on margin absent to very    weak, spines on lower side midrib absent to very weak.-   Basal sheath: Anthocyanin colour absent to weak, sheath coloration    yellow green (RHS 147B to RHS 144C).-   Inflorescence: The inflorescence (flower spike) is a panicle of    length range 10 to 17 cm positioning the flowers and berries just    above the foliage. Peduncle color is yellow green (RHS 144B).    Flowering season is year round.-   Flowers: The flower buds are 7-10 mm long and 3-4 mm wide. Bud color    changes from yellow green (RHS 147B) to violet blue (RHS N89C to    93B) prior to opening. Mature flowers have 6 petals with ovate    shape. Petal color is violet-blue (RHS N89D). Anther filament color    is yellow (approximately RHS 11A). Flower diameter range is 9-13 mm.    Petal attitude is horizontal to slightly reflexed.-   Fruit: A succulent berry, shape is globose, color of unripe berry is    yellow green (RHS 144C) and color of ripe berry is approximately    violet blue (RHS N89A), surface texture is smooth and glossy. Seed    number is usually 6, seed color is black (RHS 203A).-   Environmental tolerances: ‘Indigo Bells’ has shown potential for    shade tolerance. The winter hardiness of ‘Indigo Bells’ is still    undergoing testing. ‘Indigo Bells’ has excellent drought tolerance    as for other Dianella varieties. After severe wilting, ‘Indigo    Bells’ has been noted to recover with watering. ‘Indigo Bells’    withstands wet weather conditions and higher humidity with less root    rotting disease compared to other Dianella caerulea varieties.-   Disease resistance and susceptibility: ‘Indigo Bells’ has excellent    tolerance to pests and diseases and good resistance to root rot,    which is a common problem in Dianella caerulea. These features and    other characteristics of the plant are apparent from the figures.

‘Indigo Bells’ Compared to Other Varieties of Dianella caerulea andDianella brevipedunculata

In comparing ‘Indigo Bells’ with the other Dianella caerulea varietiesincluding the maternal parent, ‘Indigo Bells’ has a more compact habitwith shorter plant height than Dianella caerulea, ‘DCMP01’ (known as‘Little Becca’), and ‘DCNC0’ (known as ‘Becca’). ‘Indigo Bells’ has ashorter flower spike height (range 10-17 cm) positioned just above thefoliage compared to Dianella caerulea (range 40-90 cm), ‘DCMP01’ (range50-60 cm) and ‘DCNC0’ (range 80-90 cm) which has the flowers positionedwell above the foliage. Dianella caerulea, ‘DCMP01’ and ‘DCNC0’ flowerseasonally in spring to early summer whereas ‘Indigo Bells’ has yearround flowering. ‘Indigo Bells’ has a violet blue flower color (RHSN89D) whereas Dianella caerulea (40-90 cm), ‘DCMP01’ has a violet blueflower color (RHS 92A-B) and ‘DCNC0’ has a violet blue flower color (RHS97C).

1. A new and distinct variety of Dianella caerulea plant named ‘IndigoBells’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.